Fear of a 12th Planet: All We Have is NOW
Manly P. Hall was a well celebrated critical thinker, social analyst and O.G. conspiracy theorist. In this lecture, he discusses how our obsession with the past can create a destructive pattern when we live exclusively within it. I’ve struggled with this sort of self sabotage my whole life and it’s something I have to constantly pull the reins in on.
I’ve seen it ruin friends and family members to the point where the past is the only identity they have. It’s one of the saddest things to see someone who you love disappear into that abyss. If you find yourself dwelling on issues from your past to the point that it affects your present day, then break the cycle now before it dictates your future. Live NOW. There is no tomorrow.
July 29th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
I think the point isn’t to so much to be free of one’s past or to move on from troubled memories but to be integrated with the unfinished business of one’s past, and to be cognizant of past anger, hurt, fear, etc. of the past that is evoked in everyday interactions and conflicts.
A legacy of my past is that I’m hyper-vigilant against getting screwed over by other people, and looking to master the power dynamic of any interaction. That attitude is alienating, and totally unnecessary when interacting with healthy adults. Sadly, there are so many people actively looking to scam other people that it’s easy to justify my hyper-vigilance.
Oh well.
July 29th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
^Sentence fail.
July 29th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Very solid points. This resonated deeply for me. Another stellar post Bluth.